BY IRENE MOYO POLICE in Matabeleland South on Saturday arrested six suspects who were caught smuggling 1 693kg of copper cables to South Africa through the Beitbridge Border Post.
The arrests reportedly came after the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), in partnership with security agents, conducted a blitz targeting theft of the power utility’s cables.
The suspects, who include a South African male Siyabonga Ntombela (32) of Johannesburg, are: Gift Ndlovu (25) male of Singanda village in Bubi, Matabeleland North; Emmanuel Mdlongwa (30) of Pumula East, Aleck Maseko (28) of Gwabalanda; Proud Mkwebu (24) of Old Magwegwe; and Nomathamsanqa Ncube (38) of Nguboyenja in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority Holdings general manager George Manyaya confirmed the arrests saying: “Latest arrests have been made during the ongoing joint anti-theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure. They are suspected of illegal practices on national electricity infrastructure, an act deemed as economic sabotage according to the Electricity Act [Chapter 13:05] (a) 1 and 2.
“These activities include failure to observe stipulated wayleave regulations like digging around electricity infrastructure, collecting soil and sand from the environment surrounding electricity infrastructure, destruction and theft of electricity cables resulting in unplanned electricity outages. These activities have serious consequences to national development and customer experience. The utility is losing at least US$4 million annually to these activities.
“The company will not tire in conducting these blitzes, working closely with national security forces and the community to make sure perpetrators are brought to book. The suspected vandals are in police custody waiting for court processes.”
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said she had not yet received the report.
“I will advise you to check with us again tomorrow,” she said.
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